


Hope Is the Cure

by TheOfficialKai517



Series: Love Is a Medicine [2]
Category: Animaniacs
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:35:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28551735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOfficialKai517/pseuds/TheOfficialKai517
Summary: I can't count the reasons I should stay; one by one, they all just fade away.
Relationships: Dot Warner & Wakko Warner & Yakko Warner
Series: Love Is a Medicine [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2133297
Kudos: 25





	1. Yakko's Letter

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you who haven't read it, here's [Love Is a Medicine.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27945671/chapters/68439962) It gets rather sad near the end, and this entire collection of one-shots is me kind of working through my sadness about my own fic. Don't say I didn't warn you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The full letter that Yakko wrote to Dot.

_Hey, little sis -_

_Heard you got a new heart; that's gotta be getting some excitement pumped through your veins, eh?_

_But, all joking aside, I'm hoping you're doing well, and will continue to do well. Try and keep happy and healthy with it, okay?_

_I know that by now, you've probably figured out that it was me, that I'm the reason you have a heart now, that you're still alive. You always were a smart girl, Dot._

_And you know what? I don't regret it, not one bit. I'd do anything for you and Wakko, you know that. You two deserve the world, always have. But the world... It's a very hard thing for a big brother to give to his little sibs. So I did my best: I taught you, loved you, protected you, gave you every opportunity I could find for you. Including this one._

_I know you remember that time that Death nearly took Wakko, how we bargained and fought to get our brother back. I had to do it again, sis, for you. And the bargaining chip this time was me. I could never forgive myself if I didn't protect you, especially not from something like death. If I had to live without you..._

_What I'm trying to say is... I love you, Dot. And you still have so much life left to live. With that in mind, I want you to go on living it. Don't get caught up on little old me, just go on and do your thing. Make that movie where you star opposite the cutest guy in all of Hollywood, keep on fighting for what you believe in. (Be sure to pepper in at least a little craziness in there, of course.)_

_I'll always be with you and Wakko, guiding and guarding you. Because I really do love you both, so very much._

_I hope you can forgive me for doing this to you, little sis. It's my responsibility, my choice, my honor. It's my choice, and I choose to give you a chance. Because you deserve it._

_I love you. Always._

_Your big brother,_

_Yakko_


	2. Happiest Home In These Hills

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fluffier alternate ending for "Love Is a Medicine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... This was actually the ending I originally planned for "Love Is a Medicine." I got midway through it and realized that it didn't seem to be working in my mind for some reason, so I kept this version but started a new, sadder one. I ended up recycling a bit of this, using it in the real ending, so you might recognize a little bit.

Yakko wanted nothing more than to just punch something. Nobody seemed to know what was wrong with Dot: not Google, not the doctors, not _anybody._ With that came the lack of knowledge on how to help her, _heal_ her. And that angered him, frustrated him.

Because all of a sudden, _he_ didn't know. Didn't know how he could help her better than he already was, didn't know who to go to (or for what)... Didn't know if there was suddenly a limit to the amount of time she had left. And he didn't want to live his life without one or both of his siblings.

It was his job to protect both of them, make sure that they were happy and healthy and safe... And he felt like he'd utterly failed at that job.

Sitting in the waiting room wasn't helping, either. It was quiet and dull, something that he and his siblings would have _loved_ to have barged in on and wreaked havoc within. But now wasn't the time, not after hearing Dot's quiet promises of return as she kissed both his and Wakko's cheeks. Seeing the unspoken fear in her eyes as they opened the door for her, leading her into the back in silence.

Wakko was currently sitting in silence, his arms crossed as he sulked.

Yakko was sitting, too, but he was rather fidgety. His mind was running through every worst-case scenario and he was anxiously tapping his fingers on his knee, even as his leg twitched. He couldn't help any of it... Not one bit.

Wakko reached to pick up a magazine, opening it up and beginning to flip through it.

"Gah!" his older brother exclaimed after a moment of side-eyeing him, "I... _How?_ How in the _world_ can you be so calm?! Dot's back there, getting tested and scanned and poked and prodded for the first of probably many times, and even if they _do_ figure out what's wrong..."

"She'll make it through all of this," Wakko said quietly, closing the magazine with a soft sigh, "our sister's a fighter, remember?"

Yakko forced himself to nod. "Right. Yeah. I... Of course."

"Then we have no reason to worry."

Yakko frowned but nodded again. One could only hope.

* * *

Dot was rolled out into the waiting room a few hours later, in a wheelchair and a hospital gown. She looked half-asleep already, but had to smile when she saw her brothers.

Wakko had fallen asleep on Yakko, who was fidgeting and muttering under his breath.

The latter of the two glanced up, and there was visible relief when he spotted her. He quickly shook Wakko by the shoulder, trying to wake him up. When the younger Warner brother's eyes opened, he grinned.

"Dot!"

She giggled softly, smiling at her brothers. "Hey."

Yakko looked up at the nurse who had wheeled his sister out. "So?"

"It's nothing big or bad," she assured him, "we ran a few tests that haven't gotten results yet, but we know for sure that the cough is merely due to an oddly prolonged cold."

"Your Google results seriously could tell you she had a _cold?!"_ Wakko asked his older brother, raising an eyebrow.

"There were some symptoms she had that didn't match with a cold," Yakko defended, "so..."

The nurse smiled a little. "That's why we ran those few extra tests; we knew that something else is going on, so we need to know exactly what it is. It's nothing major, though, we know that much."

"Good," Yakko said, smiling a little.

"We'll schedule an appointment when the results come in," she said curtly, "but for now, you three can go home."

"Faboo!" Wakko exclaimed, grinning as he stood up, "thank you!"

She just nodded and left the room.

Both brothers were now standing, helping Dot to her feet.

"I'm hungry," she said quietly.

"We can go to the hospital cafeteria for a meal while we wait for Scratchy to come pick us up," Yakko said, already helping guide her in that direction, "gosh, I'm glad you're okay."

She laughed softly, seeing the relief evident in both of her brothers' faces. "... Me too."

Wakko went to her other side, smiling as she automatically linked her arm through his. "And me too."

She smiled, feeling a little giddy. Loved. Glad she was with her brothers.

"Let's go, then!"


	3. A Brother's Responsibility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yakko made his decision. Now he has to stick with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I kind of had the idea to write three little pieces, each one focusing on one of the Warner siblings. This one definitely hurt to write, and I know the other two will be just as painful for me.
> 
> Not to mention I accidentally kind of named this piece after our fandom's infamous "Milk Fic"-- [Big Brother's Responsibility--](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3589802/1/Big-Brother-s-Responsibility) well... Yeah.

Yakko turned to follow the nurse, quiet. He didn't look back; he couldn't. Not until the door had closed behind him.

He couldn't bear to see Wakko again, knowing full-well that his younger brother would be looking right back at him. If he saw that, he'd be a goner: he'd change his mind in a heartbeat and demand that they find another way to help his sister. Because that was important, too.

"How old are you?" the nurse asked him over her shoulder, managing to navigate a crazy labyrinth of rooms and halls, "we need to make sure you're old enough to consent to this without bringing in an adult."

"... Is this your way of hitting on me?" he joked weakly before clearing his throat, "right. Sorry. Yeah, I... I'm eighteen."

She nodded. "Alright. You can fill out the paperwork yourself, then."

He nodded too. "Okay. I'm an adult, responsible for my--"

They had stopped in front of a room where she grabbed a clipboard and pen for him, handing them over before beginning to lead him somewhere else.

Yakko clicked the pen open before beginning. He made his way through the paperwork rather quickly, only hesitating near the end of the final page. He was actually doing this. He was donating the most important organ in his body to help save his sister.

His sister who would wake up only to find him gone for good. His sister who would never get to see or speak to him again, who'd be completely unaware of just what he'd done for her until she was fully conscious and recovered. His sister who he loved with all of his heart, and knew from the very beginning that he'd do absolutely anything for.

"... Excuse me," he piped up quietly, "you don't happen to have a spare paper that I can use, do you? I... I need to write her a letter."

She nodded. "Once we've got you all situated, I can get you some."

"Okay, then. Thanks."

They came to another stop a minute later, once he had completed the final piece of paperwork.

He looked up, raising an eyebrow. "The door says this room's occupied..."

"And it is," she said, reaching for the clipboard and pen, "but I figured you'd like to see your sister again."

His breath caught in his throat, and all he could do was nod. She opened the door for him, and he slowly entered.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, once the paperwork has been fully registered and processed. And I'll get you that spare paper."

He nodded, numb and silent. When she left him, he headed further into the room.

There she was: Dot. Decked out in a hospital gown, connected to an insane amount of wires and machines as she laid, deathly still, in her hospital bed.

He closed the space between them, fighting back tears even as he began to tremble. And then he took a seat in the chair next to her, quietly beginning to tell her the story she requested every single night.

The tears began to fall. And he didn't stop them.

* * *

The nurse gave Yakko just enough time to tell the story before returning. "Yakko? Are you ready?"

He looked up, taking a deep breath in before nodding. He shakily stood up, quickly going to lean down and kiss his sister's forehead.

"... I love you, Dot," he murmured softly, "I love you so much."

No response, as expected. He watched her for another long second before turning to follow the nurse. She handed him the paper she had promised him, along with another clipboard and pen.

"We'll allow you to finish this before we start," she said, "and if you want to work on it in the operation room, go for it."

He nodded, already working on his letter to Dot. At this point, the tears were flowing steadily, dripping onto the paper. He didn't notice, though, instead focusing on the words. Words for his sister, words to explain his absence. Wakko was too sensitive, and likely already grieving; he wouldn't willingly tell Dot what had happened, not without a little bit of pressure. It was Yakko's responsibility, one of his last ones to his little sister.

Again, they reached their destination just as Yakko finished his task. He folded the letter up, finding a random (yet convenient) envelope in his pants pocket and putting the letter inside. He wrote her name on the outside, three simple letters: D-O-T.

Three little letters, one short name. A name that held so many memories, so much love and joy and beauty.

Dot. Dot Warner. Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana Fanna Bo Besca III.

His little sister.

"Please... Make sure that this gets to her."

"I will, I promise," the nurse responded, "are you ready for this, Mr. Warner?"

"... I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

"Alright. I'll get the anesthesiologist, then."

She left once more, and Yakko looked at the letter. And then the memories came.

Wakko leaning heavily into his side as he held baby Dot, both boys cooing down at the world's cutest little girl.

A young Dot coming out of her bedroom all dressed-up, everything comically oversized.

Dot showing him a drawing that she had made of him, beaming proudly.

Her first major scrape, which he had cleaned out, kissed, and then bandaged. The reward he had gotten when she threw her arms around his neck and said "I love you, Yakko."

A man-- the anesthesiologist, if he had to guess-- came in. "Okay. Are we ready for this?"

Yakko nodded, laying back on the giant table. "... Yeah."

"I'm going to put this mask over your face; just breathe in and out like normal, okay?"

Again, Yakko nodded. The mask was placed over his face and he returned to his memories, now coming fast and strong.

Dot talking about how cute she was. Rolling her eyes as they caught sight of some good-looking woman or other-- "Boys; go fig"-- only to turn around and make the same face at some handsome man. Her temper over being called "Dottie." The time she kept messing up on her full name. Fights in the car, her getting passionate about equal rights. Her first zit. Filming that scene for their full-length movie, in which she sat dying in his arms. The relief he felt when he remembered that she was just acting, both in character and in real life.

He was feeling the anesthesia coming over him. An endless sleep, one he would never wake from.

He opened his mouth once, twice, before: "Goodnight, everybody."

And then his world went black.


	4. A Brother's Burden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wakko deals with everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so honestly? It was extremely hard getting into Wakko's head, especially here. I think part of it's mostly that he literally IS "No thoughts, brain empty" half the time, so you rarely get a moment where he deals with things like this. So yeah, he was the hardest one to get into the head of; Dot was the second.

Wakko watched as his older brother went back, following the same path that Dot had used earlier. A hollow feeling overtook the youngest Warner brother as he watched as he watched, a sudden realization that, in this moment, he was completely alone. His little sis was gone, as was his big brother.

And only one of them would return.

He should have said more, he knew that he should've. But his mind was slow to register what the nurse had said about Dot, and it was also having some trouble fully processing what Yakko had done.

Now it was too late. His big brother was gone.

Yakko had insisted that he knew exactly what he was doing, knew what it meant for him and for Dot.

"... But what about me, Yakko?" Wakko murmured, "what about _me?"_

He was only fifteen years old, and had always been extremely reliant. Everything he knew, he'd learned from at least one of his siblings... Usually Yakko.

Yakko had taken care of them, taught them, practically raised them all on his very own. And now...

He glanced at the chair next to him, where Yakko had just been sitting mere minutes ago. In it now was his older brother's MP3 player and earbuds, and his phone. Wakko picked them up, slipping the earbuds in and pressing "Play." Maybe listening to Yakko's comfort album could help bring him closer to him...

He picked up the phone, going to unlock it before sighing. _Right._ Password protection.

He made two attempts-- "HelloNurse" and "GoodnightEverybody"-- before biting his lip. He had one more guess... He typed it in.

And he was in. His brother's password had been "LoveMySibs."

He bit his lip harder, fighting hard not to cry. But it was a losing battle.

He broke down sobbing.

* * *

"Mr. Warner?"

Wakko looked up, raising an eyebrow when he saw the nurse. He was too exhausted-- physically and emotionally-- to speak.

"The operations have been completed," she said quietly, "your sister's resting in a recovery room; she's doing perfectly fine."

He nodded a little.

"If you want, you can go back now and sit with her. I think she'd appreciate having you there when she wakes up."

"... Yeah," he said quietly, standing to go follow her.

He made sure to grab Yakko's things, the items that had kept her from going completely insane over the last few hours. He had spent what felt like ages looking through his brother's pictures and videos, mostly of the three of them, and reading through some thoughts and ideas belonging to the oldest Warner sibling.

"Would you like some food before you go back?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I'm... I'm not hungry, thanks."

All he wanted was to be near her again, to get to be near one of his siblings once more. No food, no games or shenanigans. Just Dot.

"... Alright, then," she said, "follow me."

* * *

Wakko watched Dot in silence. She was dead asleep-- more than likely still under the effects of sedation-- but man, did she look absolutely peaceful.

He was jealous. She had no idea about _any_ of this. Yakko's sacrifice, Wakko's grief. She was completely oblivious to it all, and absolutely content.

And yet, she'd have to know that something had changed; she was smarter than that. She was alive, she had a new heart beating within her. Besides, Yakko's obvious absence would tip her off that _something_ wasn't right.

As he pondered this, trying to think of ways to gently broach the topic with her, he glanced over once more. And there was a pair of dark eyes looking right back at him.

"Wakko?"

He took a deep breath in. _Show time._


	5. A Sister's Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How to rise from the floor when it's not you I'm rising for?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, it took me some time to get into the younger siblings' minds. Sorry.

"Well, it appears that your body has taken to the new heart," the doctor said with a smile, "I would say you're fully recovered now!"

Dot forced a smile and nodded. "Good..."

But she knew that he was wrong. She _wasn't_ fully recovered; she probably never would be. Maybe she was, on the physical level, "Healthy." But there was too much grief and hurt going on inside of her head, in her soul, for her to be deemed "Fully recovered."

And maybe the doctor would know that if he had realized the bond she'd had with her donor, or if the p-sychologist she was seeing was allowed to share his notes with the doctor. But he _didn't_ know, and she wasn't about to tell him. She just wanted out, wanted to go home. Back to the water tower, back to the quiet lifestyle that she and Wakko had adopted for the time being. They weren't ready for shenanigans or cartoons, not yet.

Maybe not ever again.

Yakko had been a _huge_ part of their lives, and his loss had been huge. Utterly devastating. For everyone.

"Don't hesitate to call in if anything changes, the doctor instructed Dot, already beginning to usher her out of the room, "I'll see you later, Miss Warner."

She just silently nodded before leaving, going to find Dr. Scratchansniff.

* * *

The car ride back to the Warner lot was absolutely silent, Dot sitting in the back seat and looking out the window. She almost always did this now: taking _his_ seat, looking out the window. Trying to see things how Yakko had seen them when the two of them weren't bickering.

She had nothing else sometimes.

Wakko often distanced himself nowadays, using his older brother's music player and listening to Yakko's comfort album on repeat. In fact, the younger of the two warner siblings had essentially hoarded all of Yakko's belongings for himself. While Dot understood-- he'd known Yakko for two years longer than she had, and he'd looked up to him more than anybody else-- it still frustrated her that he ignored her and took everything for himself. Yakko had been _her_ big brother, too.

Now she had nobody, nothing.

They had just her thirteenth birthday a few days back, and her brother had spent the entire day in the section of the water tower that he'd partitioned off as his own little area. And while she understood that Wakko was in pain, that his heart had shattered and had yet to fully heal, she wished he could see what he was doing to her. At times, it almost seemed like she had lost _both_ of her brothers that day.

She sighed. They just needed some more time, evidently... As if they hadn't already spent enough time avoiding the topic at hand.

* * *

Christmas.

Their first one without Yakko. The first of many, Dot noted sadly.

Someone had snuck into the water tower the night before, leaving a fully decorated Christmas tree and some gifts for the two siblings. And something smelled pretty good, too.

Dot sat up, getting out of her bed. Immediately, she spotted him: Wakko, standing by the stove, making their normal Christmas breakfast.

"... This might be the first year our casserole doesn't burn all the way through," she joked half-heartedly.

Wakko looked over at her, smiling a little. "I know."

She laughed softly. "Not terribly honoring to his memory, is it?"

"Do _you_ want to give it a try?"

Dot shook her head adamantly. "No way! I'm terrified of the oven; you know that!"

Wakko laughed. "Good. I'm almost finished, anyways."

With that, he put the casserole in, starting the timer before going over to his little sister's side.

"... It felt weird doing that myself," he admitted after a moment, "usually I was at his side, trying to show him how to do it without burning anything."

"I know that. Remember, I'd stand by with the fire extinguisher?"

He laughed out loud. "He'd insist that he didn't need either of us to take any of those measures..."

"... And then he'd burn it anyways," she finished off with a laugh of her own.

They both chuckled a little at the memories. Yakko had never gotten better at cooking, no matter how hard he'd tried... But it was always the worst during the holiday season.

"... I miss him," Dot murmured quietly, looking down at the floor.

Wakko blinked, studying his younger sister. He'd failed to take into consideration how _she_ felt about this... It was only now that he saw that she had changed since then, she had become more of a shell of what she had once been. He frowned, sitting next to her.

She glanced over. "Wakko?"

He said nothing, instead pulling her into a tight hug. She blinked before hugging him back. Maybe... Maybe things could get better, at least a little bit.

Yeah, that was it. And they were taking the first step to as much of a full recovery as they could get.

Together.


	6. The Long Ride Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to go home.  
> A.K.A. Scratchy finds out what Yakko's done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be in "Love Is a Medicine," as an alternate ending to the grieving siblings. And yet, here it is, as part of the bonus book. This is the last part that I have planned out, but if I come up with more pieces, I'll add them here.
> 
> P.S. The little conversation between Scratchy and Wakko? Not meant to diss on hospital workers or anything; just meant to show Wakko's frustration and anger.

Dr. Scratchansniff came to pick up the younger two Warner siblings the next day, when Dot was finally released with several very specific instructions. When he pulled up to the door, Wakko wheeled his sister out and helped her into the car before taking the wheelchair back inside and then getting into the car himself.

He took his usual seat in the back, encouraging Dot to get some rest and permitting her to lean into him again as she did so. But the car didn't move.

"Dr. Scratchansniff?" Dot piped up quietly, raising an eyebrow, "why aren't we going?"

"We're still waiting on Yakko, aren't we?" came his response, "unless he snuck in behind the two of you or something..."

He peered into the mirror, frowning when he did not, in fact, see the oldest Warner.

"You didn't tell him?!" Dot hissed, elbowing her brother.

"Tell me what?"

Wakko looked down at his lap, already fighting back the tears. "I... I..."

"Just drive, Scratchy," Dot instructed, "we can try and explain... Maybe. But... Yakko... He's not going to be riding home with us."

Scratchansniff frowned deeply, studying his charges. They both looked distraught, and hollow. Like something had deeply changed and impacted them while they were inside that hospital. He wanted to ask, to know and understand.

But they didn't seem to be in the mood, not at the moment.

So instead, he just nodded, adjusted the mirror, and then took off.

* * *

"They want us to go in next week, to see how she's handling the new heart," Wakko explained once Dot had fallen asleep, "her body seems to be okay with it for now, though, which is always good."

Scratchansniff glanced back at Wakko. "So she _did_ get a heart donor? And that fast? Immediately after the discovery?"

He nodded.

"You see? True testimony to hospital workers and their dedication to patients and life in general."

"More like true testimony to a brother and how much he loves his little sister," Wakko muttered, looking out the window.

"What was that?" the psychiatrist asked as he returned his gaze to the road.

"Nothing."

"That was not _Nothing,_ Wakko. What did you say?"

Wakko huffed out of his nose. "Fine. You want to know what I said? I said that it's more like testimony to a brother and how much he cares for his sister. They found a donor right away because Yakko heard what was wrong and immediately volunteered his own life for our sister's!"

Scratchansniff frowned. "... What?"

Wakko went silent, upset. It was when he crossed his arms that the doctor knew just how upset he really was.

"Wakko..."

"I don't want to talk about it, Scratchy," he muttered, "please, just... I know you want to go all p-sychologist on me right now, and maybe Dot later. But if you could give us some space right now?"

He frowned again but nodded. "I... Alright."

"Thanks."

The car went quiet, nearly silent save the soft snores coming from Dot. Time to think and contemplate... And Wakko wasn't going to complain. He needed the time to recover, they all did. And it started now.


End file.
